Work holder and bench for fitting hardware to doors and the like



v F. W. CLARK WORK HOLDER AND BENCH FOR FITTING HARDWARE TO DOORS AND THE LIKE April 29, 1969 Sheet Filed Dec. 8, 1966 INVENTOR. FLOYD W. CL A RA BY F. W CLARK WORK HOLDER AND BENCH FOR FITTING HARDWARE TO DOORS AND THE LIKE April 29, 1969 Sheet 2 of2 Filed Dec. 8, 1966 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. F l. 0 YD I V. CLARK United States Patent 3 441 068 WORK HOLDER ADID imNcH FOR FITTING HARDWARE T DOORS AND THE LIKE Floyd W. Clark, 1905 Allison St., Lakewood, Colo. 80215 Filed Dec. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 600,083 Int. Cl. B25h 1/10 U.S. Cl. 144-288 7 Claims A work bench comprises end frames connected at their rear ends by horizontal top and bottom frame members. A door may be clamped on a pipe or shaft for 180 rotation about a horizontal central longitudinal axis positioned to bring the edge of the door to bench height for work. The axis is adjustable vertically and a pair of adjustable rests are provided to hold the lower edge of the door in position for clamping. The bench is collapsible and readily portable.

Builders customarily fit doors at the building site; this requires the necessary routing and beveling of the door and the fitting and securing on of the hinge butts and lock assemblies or sets. The doors must be handled and suitably held for these operations and these procedures are time consuming. Various arrangements have been provided to facilitate these operations but they have not proved entirely satisfactory for all applications. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved and easily operated combined bench and work holder for fitting hardware to doors and the like.

It is another object of this invention to provide a work holder for doors and the like including an improved arrangement for holding the door and manipulating it While performing all operations necessary to fit the hinges and lock sets thereto.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved work holder for doors and the like which facilitates the handling of doors during the hardware fitting operations and which is readily portable.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved door holder for facilitating the mounting of hinge butts and lock sets and which is simply and effectively adjustable to handle doors of different sizes.

Briefly, in carrying out the objects of this invention in one embodiment thereof, a combined work holder and bench is provided which comprises two rectangular end frames and a rear frame formed by longitudinal members connecting the end frames and a clamping arrangement is provided to afford rotation of the work such -as a door so that either edge may be positioned adjacent the top. The arrangement for mounting a door on the bench comprises two brackets mounted on the front of the end frames and a shaft such as a pipe is carried by the brackets; the shaft is provided with clamping members for securing the door. The brackets are of adjustable height and a pair of adjustable rests for holding the door during clamping is provided in front of the bench. This facilitates the mounting and balancing of doors of various sizes so that the edges to be worked on are adjacent the top of the bench. A suitable top or table is provided to carry tools and parts and is moved out of the way when the door is rotated to bring its bottom edge to the top for working.

The features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood upon reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a combined work holder and bench embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the holder and bench of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a left end elevation view of the holder and bench of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the bench of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the end of the top support employed with the bench of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an end elevation view of the support shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side elevation view of the lefthand bracket of the bench;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the right-hand bracket of the bench; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the be"ch.

Referring now to the drawings, the combined work holder and bench illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 comprises left and right end frames 10 and 11 connected by upper and lower longitudinal members 13 and 14, respectively, connected to the rear vertical members of the end frames 10 and 11.

The frame 10 as shown in FIG. 3 comprises front and rear vertical members 15 and 16, respectively, connected by upper and lower cross members 17 and 18, respectively, to provide a rectangular end frame. The right-hand end frame 11 is similarly constructed and comprises front and rear vertical members 20 and 21, respectively, connected by upper and lower cross members 22 and 23, respectively.

The upright members and cross members of the respective end frames 10 and 11 are rigidly secured together by bolting, welding or other suitable manner to provide rigid frames. The upright members 15, 16, 20 and 21 are angular in cross section, their sides being at right angles to one another, and the cross members 17, 18, 22 and 23 are channel members. The longitudinal members 13 and 14 are channel members with the channels opening toward the rear of the bench. In order to provide a more rigid structure, an angular cross brace 24 is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the rear longitudinal members 13 and 14. All of the structural frame members are preferably made of a light metal such as aluminum alloy which provides the required strength and makes the bench more readily portable.

As shown in FIG. 4, the end frames are hingedly mounted on the longitudinal frame members 13 and 14. FIG. 4 shows the hinge connection between the lower end frame member 18 and the rear longitudinal member 14 and, as illustrated, a hinge comprising leaves 25 and 26 hinged at a pivot 27 is secured to the frame members, the member 25 being secured by bolts 28 to the lower end frame member 18 and the leaf 26 being similarly connected to the longitudinal 14 by bolts 30. As shown, the hinge pivot 27 is located so that the end frame 10 may be pivoted toward the longitudinals so that the bench may more readily be carried or stored when it is not in use.

In order to support a door or other panel-like workpiece on the bench for working, a pair of brackets 31 and 32 are adjustably mounted on the frames 10 and 11, respectively, and a shaft 33, which may be a pipe, is mounted in the brackets and provided with right and left-hand clamping assemblies 34 and 35, respectively. The clamping assemblies as illustrated are of the type commonly employed on straight pipes to provide widely spaced clamps. The right-hand assembly 34 is frictionally secured to the pipe 33 and may be moved along the pipe to selected positions, The element 34 is locked in the usual manner against movement outwardly of the pipe by virtue of friction elements or leaves (not shown) which engage the pipe and prevent movement of the clamping member. The clamping assembly 35 comprises a fixture 36 rigidly secured to the right-hand end of the pipe, a slidable clamping member 37 and a threaded rod 38 and crank 39 for adjusting the member 37 with respect to the fixed endpiece 36.

When a door or other panel is placed between the clamping members 34 and 37 as illustrated by dashed lines in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the clamping member 34 is placed against one end of the door and the clamping member 37 adjacent the other and then pressed into clamped position by rotation of the crank 39 to draw the members 34 and 37 against the door. The height of the brackets 31 and 32 is adjustable. These brackets being constructed as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 each comprises one of the main body portions 31 and 32, respectively, provided with hooks or bayonet connectors 41 and 42, respectively, which pass through openings or slots 43 and 44 formed in the front upright members 15 and 20. A plurality of the slots 43 and 44 are provided in alinement along the respective uprights so that the brackets 31 and 32 may be mounted at positions selected in accordance with the width of the door being mounted on the bench, it being desirable that the upper edge of the door lie close to the top of the bench.

In order to hold the shaft 33 securely in position during use while allowing it to be readily removed, the bracket 31 is provided with a round hole 45, and the bracket 32 which is shorter is provided with ears forming an upwardly opening recess 46. Thus, when placing the shaft in position its left-hand end is first mounted in the hole 45 and then its right-hand end between the clamp members 36 and 37 placed in the recess 46. Now when the shaft is rotated it is stopped in its forward position and its movement is limited by the threaded rod 38 engaging the front top edge of the bracket 32 and in its rearward position by engagement of the rod with the top of the bracket on the rear side of the recess ,46. These two positions are thus the limiting positions of the door with respective edges of the door adjacent the top of the bench.

During the clamping operation the door may be supported on rests 47 and 48 mounted on panels 49 and 50 at the respective leftand right-hand ends of the bench. The rests 47 and 48 are detachably secured in strips 51 and 52 which may be of the type commonly employed for supporting book shelves in adjustable positions, the rest members 47 and 48 being attachable in selected positions along the strips 51 and 52 by insertion in suitable slots indicated generally in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, a top or working surface 54 is rested on the upper crosspieces 17 and 22 and may be slid along these crosspieces between the front and the rear so that it is available for supporting tools and parts such as hinge butts and lock assemblies when the bench is being used. The top 54 has been omitted in FIG. 1 to avoid confusion with the dashed line illustration of the door. The working surface 54 is preferably of lightweight construction and has been shown as comprising a top board 55 and longitudinal reinforcing boards or flanges 56 and 57. As shown in FIGS. and 6, the longitudinal reinforcing members 56 and 57 terminate short of the ends of the board 55 and a stop strip or member 58 is secured to each end of the board 55 in spaced relation to the ends of the strips 56 and 57, this space being sufficient to loosely accommodate the cross members 17 and 22.

The panels 49 and 50 are hingedly mounted on the front uprights 15 and 20, respectively, the panel 49 being provided with hinges 60 and the panel 50 with corresponding hinges 61. When the bench is in use the panels 49 and 50 are held securely in position in alinement with the front bench so that the lower edge of the door may be supported on the brackets 47 and 58. This is accomplished by detachable cross braces between the panels and the adjacent lower cross members of the end frames. As illus- .4 trated in FIG. 9, the panel 49 is held in position by a pivoted brace 62 pivotally mounted on the cross member 18 at one end and which may be placed in an eyehole bracket 63 on the door 49 thereby preventing rotation of the door on its hinges 60.

When the bench is not in use the brace 62 is detached from the bracket 63 and is rotated into a position in alinement with the cross member 18 While the panel 49 is rotated on the hinges 60 toward the end frame 10. Thus when the assembly is not in use the panels 49 and 50 are folded toward the end frames 10 and 11 and these frames in turn are folded toward the rear longitudinal members 13 and 14 thereby greatly reducing the overall size of the frame member assembly for purposes of carrying from place to place.

When the combined work holder and bench illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is in use, a door is first placed on the brackets 47 and 48 which are adjusted to a height to bring the center of the door substantially in alinement with one of the sets of slots 43 and 44, the position of the brackets 47 and 48 being selected to bring the upper edge of me door as near as possible to the top of the work bench. The door is then clamped between the clamp members 34 and 37 and the supporting board 54 may then be brought toward the door to support the tools and parts to be used in the work on the door. Hand tools, routers and other cutting tools may thus be supported adjacent the work while the door is being cut to accommodate the hinges or lock sets required for the edge of the door.

When the work of attaching the hinge butts, for example, has been completed, the bench member 54 is pushed back away from the front edge of the bench and the upper edge of the door is rotated rearwardly on the axis of the pipe 33 until the lower edge is in the top position as indicated by the second set of dashed lines in FIG. 3. The board 54 may then be returned to the front edge of the bench and the remaining operation, for example the mounting of the lock set, may then be performed and the door completed.

The arrangement of the adjustable brackets 47 and 48 makes it possible to hold a door of any width in position so that the door may be mounted substantially at its center point and thus balanced for pivotal movement, a suitable pair of the slots 43 and 44 having been selected for mounting the brackets 31 and 32.

A work holder and bench constructed in the manner above described makes it possible to carry the equipment easily from job to job and to perform the series of operations for a number of doors on the job in minimum time and with minimum handling of the unmounted door.

While the invention has been described in connection with one embodiment thereof, other modifications and applications will occur to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A combined work holder and bench for facilitating the mounting of hardware on doors and the like comprising:

a pair of end frames each including front and rear up. rights and upper and lower cross members, upper and lower horizontal members connecting said frames at the rear thereof, brackets carried by said front uprights intermediate the ends thereof,

a shaft rotatably mounted in said brackets and extending longitudinally across the front of said work holder,

clamping members mounted on said shaft for securing a door or the like to the shaft for rotation therewith, said shaft and clamping members affording swinging movement of a door clamped therein about a horizontal axis and through about whereby either longitudinal edge of the door may be positioned adjacent the top of said bench, and

rest means positioned below said shaft and in alinement therewith for holding the door during the initial clamping thereof.

2. A combined work holder and bench as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rest means is vertically adjustable to accommodate different widths of doors or the like and wherein said brackets are adjustable to facilitate the positioning of a longitudinal edge of the door near the top of the bench while the door is held in a substantially balanced position in said clamp members.

3. A combined Work holder and bench as set forth in claim 1 including a longitudinal table member slidably supported on said upper cross members for supporting tools and parts adjacent the upper longitudinal edge of the door mounted in said clamping means, said table member being slidable rearwardly out of the way of the door during its rotation on said shaft.

4. A combined work holder and bench as set forth in claim 1 wherein said shaft is removable from said brackets and wherein said end frames are hingedly supported with respect to said upper and lower horizontal members whereby each end frame may be folded against thehorizontal members when not in use.

5. A combined work holder and bench as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamping means comprises an adjustable offset stop member slidable along said shaft to selected locking positions and a second offset clamp member slidable on said shaft near one end thereof, a fixed stop at said one end of said shaft and having means including a threaded shaft engaging said second clamp member for moving said second clamp member toward and away from said first clamp member to secure a door therebetween,

said threaded shaft engaging the supporting bracket in both positions of the door and acting as a stop to prevent rotation of the door beyond each upright position thereof.

6. A combined work holder and bench as set forth in claim 2 including support members for said rest means hingedly mounted on said front uprights for affording folding of the support members when not in use, said rest means comprising respective attaching strips mounted on said support members and each having a detachable element movable to selective positions along the strip for engaging the door edge during positioning of said clamping means.

7. A combined work holder and bench as set forth in claim 6 wherein said shaft is removable from said brackets and wherein said end frames are hingedly supported with respect to said upper and lower horizontal members whereby each end frame may be folded against the horizontal members when not in use.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,849,673 3/1932 Johnston 144-288 2,904,087 9/1959 Walthall 144-288 2,923,334 2/1960 Brennan 269166 X 2,955,632 10/1960 Stone 144-288 DONALD R. SCHRAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COMBINED WORK HOLDER AND BENCH FOR FACILITATING THE MOUNTING OF HARDWARE ON DOORS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING: A PAIR OF END FRAMES EACH INCLUDING FRONT AND REAR UP RIGHTS END UPPER AND LOWER CROSS MEMBERS, UPPER AND LOWER HORIZONTAL MEMBERS CONNECTING SAID FRAMES AT THE REAR THEREOF, BRACKETS CARRIED BY SAID FRONT UPRIGHTS INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, A SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BRACKETS AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ACROSS THE FRONT OF SAID WORK HOLDER. CLAMPING MEMBERS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT FOR SECURING A DOOR OR THE LIKE TO THE SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, SAID SHAFT AND CLAMPING MEMBERS AFFORDING SWINGING MOVEMENT OF A DOOR CLAMPED THEREIN ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS AND THROUGH ABOUT 180* WHEREBY EITHER LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF THE DOOR MAY BE POSITIONED ADJACENT THE TOP OF SAID BENCH, AND REST MEANS POSITIONED BELOW SAID SHAFT AND IN ALINEMENT THEREWITH FOR HOLDING THE DOOR DURING THE INITIAL CLAMPNG THEREOF. 